Europe Can Force Mobile Brands To Make Battery Replacement Easier For All Smartphones: Will It Work?

A majority of smartphones have sealed batteries these days unlike the Android phones who had removable batteries many years back. This makes it difficult to switch to a new pack. 

According to a leaked document, the EU might be working on a plan to change things. EU is planning to on forcing manufacturers to make their phones’ batteries more easily accessible and replaceable.

Read to find out more about the proposal…

What is the Proposal EU is Planning on Presenting?

According to Het Financieele Dagblad (via XDA-Developers) was able to obtain the information about the proposal. The European Commission is working on a proposal that will force companies to make batteries easier to replace as battery degradation is one of the main issues with old phones. The proposal, apparently is planned to be presented in mid-March, which is said to target smartphones, tablets, and wireless earphones.

The proposal also suggests that manufacturers need to produce parts easily accessible and available to help third-party service centers. It’s believed that the EU is also set to suggest the manufacturers to offer longer guarantee periods and easier access to repair information.  which is said to be presented sometime in March.

One of the main advantages of sealed batteries in devices is that it helps manufacture a water and dust resistant smartphone.

In 2017, The European Commission had advised the phone companies to steer clear of using glue back. It doesn’t appear like the EU is calling for a ban on sealed batteries but rather barring practices involving gluing batteries in place that make replacing the batteries difficult. 

A Green Proposal!

The proposal reads that if the user is able to change the battery with no hassle, he would be able to keep the device for longer instead of discarding it after two years of use. It also includes recycling and re-use of raw materials after an electronic device is discarded. Additionally, the EU will eventually work on a European collection system to gather old smartphones, tablets and chargers so recycling is made easy. 

The proposal includes more eco friendly and recyclable packages as they want to reduce the use of micro-plastic. The proposal suggests that manufacturers put a label on their package to help the user know how many micro-plastics are released into the environment when using their products.